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Carter County resident Robert Sorrell was recognized Tuesday night during the annual East Tennessee Historical Society’s Awards of Excellence program.
Sorrell received the Project Excellence Award for his book, “The Story of Becoming Piney Flats,” which was released in August 2022.
The awards program annually recognizes individuals and organizations for significant contributions to the preservation, promotion and interpretation of the region’s history according to the ETHS. Eligible projects include exhibits, lectures, conferences, publications, print and broadcast media, teaching and lifetime achievement. Organizations and individuals across the region are invited to make nominations. The awards have been held annually since 1982 in Knoxville.
The Project Excellence Award, which Sorrell received, is in recognition of a special project, such as a book or other publication; building preservation; or special programming produced by an individual or organization, the ETHS states.
“The Story of Becoming Piney Flats,” which can be found in book retailers and online, is Sorrell’s sixth book. The book covers the entire history of Piney Flats, including the time pioneer Daniel Boone blazed a trail through area, the development of the Wolfe Brothers Furniture Factory and the construction of Boone Dam.
Members of the Piney Flats Historical Society supported and assisted Sorrell in the production of the book.
Sorrell previously received the Project Excellence Award from the ETHS in 2015 for his book, “Images of America: Roan Mountain.”
Sorrell, who is a licensed real estate agent in Tennessee and North Carolina, has also written books on the region’s fire lookout towers, historic homes and stories from former investigator Kenneth Potter.
For more information about the author, visit robertsorrellwrites.com.